Northern Lehigh Edges Northwestern 1-0

Northwestern coach Patty Berger was proud that her Tigers battled highly-touted Northern Lehigh to the wire before dropping a 1-0 Centennial League decision yesterday in Slatington.

But Berger probably would have slept much better last night had the final score been 10-0 rather than 1-0.

"Sometimes it's easier to lose 10-0 rather than 1-0," she said. "In a 1-0 game like this, there was a lot of things you replay in your mind and wish you could do over. This one will bother me for awhile. This was a game where the little things, mental mistakes, hurt Along with those mental miscues by her own team, Northern Lehigh leftfielder Shelli Kresge probably kept Berger from getting a solid night's sleep. Kresge made a couple of outstanding catches to tame the Tiger offense.

"That leftfielder kept them in the ballgame," Berger said.

Kresge, a senior, was making her first start of the season. The most spectacular of her grabs was a diving, over-the-shoulder stab of Mel Ritter's deep drive in the fourth.

"I just decided that we needed Kresge in there today for defense," said Northern Lehigh coach Dennis Hock. "She's a good defensive player and she proved that with at least three outstanding catches. I guess that move makes me look a genius for a day."

And it helped to preserve an outstanding pitching performance by Bulldog senior Amy Croll, who wound up with a four-hitter and outdueled equally impressive Northwestern hurler Bonnie Dietrich.

"All of my pitches were working today; I was very confident in all of them," said Croll, who didn't walk a batter and struck out two. "It was one of those days when I had a lot of confidence in myself and in my defense."

Northern Lehigh didn't commit an error. Northwestern recorded just one in the fast-paced, well-played game. But that one Tiger boo-boo was costly.

Singles by Vanessa Strohl, Kelly Butterfield and a bunt hit by Kresge loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Michele Yochimowitz then hit a sharp comebacker to Dietrich.

Dietrich knocked down the ball, but seemed distracted by the runners moving all around her. She tried to grab the ball twice, but couldn't find the handle. Strohl scored from third with the game's first and only run without a throw.

Dietrich, who finished with a five-hitter, escaped further damage when Northwestern shortstop Becky George, only a sophomore, snagged Croll's line drive and flipped to third for an inning-ending double play.

It was the second time George robbed Croll of a hit. With two out in the second, she made a diving grab of Croll's laser to the left side of the diamond.

"Their shortstop saved them a lot of runs with a couple of great plays," Hock said. "We had some scoring opportunities, but we couldn't get anything to fall in. Fortunately, we hung tough behind Amy (Croll) and our defense."

One final big defensive play came in the top of the seventh. Ritter delivered a one-out hit and was pulled for pinch-runner Kathy Jacoby. Berger put on the hit-and-run play, but the hitter failed to make contact. Northern Lehigh catcher Yochimowitz threw a strike to shortstop Tricia Treskot who tagged out Jacoby.

The batter popped to right to end the game and on-deck hitter Lindsay Weiss, who had two of her team's four hits, never got a third crack at Croll.

"It was a mental mistake; the hit-and-run was on," Berger said. "It's tough when you take yourself out of an inning like that. But you try to make something happen, take chances. If they work, you're a genius. If they don't, well ... "

The win improved Northern Lehigh to 3-0-1 and 2-0 in the Centennial League. Northwestern, meanwhile, lost for the first time in three league contests and is already looking forward to its second meeting with the Bulldogs April 30.

"It's a tough loss," Berger said. "But I've got to be pleased that we were right there with them. They've been on top so long that there's an intimidation factor. We've just got to learn how to win. We'll get there."